Chapter 3:

Today, Yu Xiang’an continued to take leave from school. Her health hadn’t fully recovered, and during this period, high school students weren’t really learning much. Teachers were all preoccupied with their own safety, sticking rigidly to the textbooks and unwilling to say a single extra word. So, she didn’t feel any psychological burden about taking leave.

After a bland breakfast, those who had work went to work, and those who had school went to school. The house was left with only Yu Xiang’an and Yu Xiangju.

At lunchtime, Ding Minxiu returned. Yu Xiang’an’s health had mostly recovered, with no lingering discomfort, so she was the one who prepared lunch.

It was very simple—just a few sweet potatoes and a bowl of wild vegetable soup.

Yu Xiang’an didn’t try to improve the family’s meals. She could have made them tastier, but to do so, besides mastering the cooking technique, ingredients were also crucial. Given the current circumstances, it wasn’t the right time to make changes.

Yu Qingshan and Zhao Qiaoniang ate at the factory, so it was just the three of them for lunch. Yu Xiang’an was unusually quiet during the meal. Ding Minxiu and Yu Xiangju assumed she was still feeling a bit unwell and didn’t notice anything amiss.

After lunch, Ding Minxiu went back to school, and Yu Xiangju went out to play with his friends. Yu Xiang’an checked the time and left the house.

Though this was a county town, there were no high-rises. The tallest buildings were only two and a half stories high, and you could count them on one hand. Not all the houses along the streets were made of blue bricks and tiles—many were built with mud bricks, like their own home. In terms of dilapidation, their house was among the most run-down in the county. Yu Qingshan had been an outsider when he bought the place, and it was already old at the time. After more than twenty years of living there, it looked even shabbier.

Still, there were advantages. Yu Xiang’an comforted herself with a bit of Ah Q-style optimism. Though the house was old, it was spacious enough that she could have her own room. Compared to those crammed into twenty-square-meter apartments with seven or eight people, she’d rather live in an old house.

Looking at the people on the street, none of them were overweight. Their clothes were almost uniformly black, gray, or blue, all patched up. The walls on either side were plastered with slogans full of the era’s distinctive flavor.

Yu Xiang’an wandered around the neighborhood before heading to the hardware factory to find Yu Qingshan.

The elderly gatekeeper recognized her and greeted her, “Xiao An, what brings you here at this hour? Are you looking for your dad or your brother? I’ll call them for you.” As long as it wouldn’t take too long, it was acceptable to call someone out.

“Thank you, Uncle. I’m here to see my dad.” She had mentally prepared herself, so the term of address came naturally.

“Alright, wait here.” The old man walked off briskly without asking why she wasn’t in school at this hour or why she couldn’t wait until after work to talk.

“Xiao An, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell again?” Yu Qingshan’s steps were hurried. His daughter had seemed fine when he left in the morning—had she relapsed?

Yu Xiang’an pulled him to an empty spot where there was no one around, glancing around cautiously. The area was open, so anyone approaching would be immediately visible.

“Xiao An, what’s going on?” Yu Qingshan’s tone shifted. Her demeanor suggested she had something important to say.

Yu Xiang’an had rehearsed this moment for a long time. She took a deep breath, her face filled with anger. “Dad, I didn’t tell you earlier, but I got sick because I was furious. I overheard Zhou Boyang and Ding Minxiu talking—they’ve been sneaking around behind our backs. She’s already one month pregnant. They plan to use Zhou Boyang’s family connections to add my name to the list of those being sent to the countryside. Once I’m gone, Ding Minxiu can marry him openly.”

Yu Qingshan froze for a moment before erupting in rage. “Are you serious!?”

Yu Xiang’an pressed her lips together and nodded, carefully watching his expression. Yu Qingshan’s reaction was crucial.

If he supported her, her plans would go much smoother. If he wanted to swallow his anger, it would be much harder. But based on the memories of the doting father from the original owner’s mind, the odds were high that Yu Qingshan would side with her.

Of course, Yu Qingshan stood with Yu Xiang’an. She was his daughter. Ding Minxiu’s surname was Ding—she had only entered the Yu family a few years ago with Zhao Qiaoniang. All these years, whatever his daughter had, Ding Minxiu had too. They’d even sent her to high school. And this was how she repaid the Yu family?

His face flushed red with fury. He wanted to tear Zhou Boyang and Ding Minxiu apart right then and there. Clenching his fists, he paced back and forth in front of Yu Xiang’an, forcing himself to calm down. He couldn’t let his anger make the situation spiral out of control.

He had to consider his daughter’s feelings. Though she hadn’t said it outright, he knew she had some affection for Zhou Boyang—it was just the engagement that had kept things restrained. Thinking about how this had made her so ill, Yu Qingshan felt guilty for being so oblivious.

“Xiao An, don’t worry. Dad will make sure you get justice!” In his mind, he wanted to report them for “hooliganism.” Given the current climate, they’d be lucky to escape with their lives. But that would blow things up, and the whole county would know what had happened to his daughter. She was innocent, but gossip wouldn’t care. He was afraid the rumors would ruin her.

With that in mind, he forced himself to stay calm. “Xiao An, what do you want to do?”

Yu Xiang’an let out a quiet sigh of relief. He hadn’t doubted her words. From his expression, she saw anger, restraint, and heartache. She felt more confident now.

“Dad, I don’t want to make a scene. It wouldn’t do our family any good. I’ve been thinking about this the whole time I was bedridden. I can’t marry Zhou Boyang now. Since Ding Minxiu wants to marry into that family, I’m willing to let her—as long as the Zhou family gives me a formal job position. Dad, I don’t want to go to the countryside.” Her voice dropped at the last sentence, then rose slightly, tinged with stubbornness and unease. “Dad… am I being too cruel?”

Yu Qingshan’s heart ached at her words. His daughter had grown up so suddenly, becoming so sensible. But he wished she hadn’t had to.

“What are you talking about? Are you really okay with this? I’m just worried you’ll bottle it up and make yourself sick.”

Yu Xiang’an lowered her head. “Why should I be upset? I don’t want a man like that. And Ding Minxiu—Dad, from now on, she’s not my sister.”

Yu Qingshan gripped her shoulders firmly. “Don’t worry. Leave this to me. As for Ding Minxiu, after what she’s done, she’s no longer my daughter. I’ll talk to your stepmother. For now, act like you don’t know anything. I’ll discuss this with your brother and uncles and come up with a plan. Go home and rest. Here, take this money and buy yourself something to eat. Don’t hold back.” He dug out fifty cents from his pocket and handed it to her.

Yu Xiang’an hesitated but took it.

Right now, she was penniless—literally.

“Go home. I’m heading back to the factory. Tell them I won’t be home for dinner. And remember—don’t breathe a word of this to anyone.”

Yu Xiang’an nodded obediently, feeling a weight lift off her chest. Yu Qingshan was a reliable father.

As soon as his shift ended, Yu Qingshan went with his eldest son, Yu Xianghai, to the Qin family—Yu Xiang’an’s maternal relatives.

The Qin family also lived in the county, though on the other side. It was about a half-hour walk. Even though Qin Fenglan had passed away, the Yu and Qin families remained close.

Yu Xiang’an’s maternal grandparents were still alive.

They had three children—two sons and a daughter. Their mother, Qin Fenglan, was the youngest. The eldest son had died in battle, and the younger one was now a chef at a state-run restaurant.

The three siblings had been close in age and grew up together, so their bond was strong. After Qin Fenglan’s death, they had taken extra care of her children.

The Yu family were outsiders in the county, so the Qins were their closest relatives. With such a major issue at hand, Yu Qingshan’s first instinct was to consult them and devise a plan.

Yu Qingshan believed that, externally, this matter could be smoothed over. The engagement had originally been a verbal agreement, made with the understanding that the two children might not take to each other. Later, as the families grew closer, it became more serious. But since arranged marriages like this were frowned upon nowadays, it hadn’t been widely publicized—only close friends and family knew. Others were largely unaware. They could simply insist it had all been a joke from the start.

Now, they’d have to let those two be together. But since they had wronged his daughter first, and with the undeniable proof of her pregnancy—plus the fact that Zhou Boyang was the Zhou family’s only heir—they would know what to do. A formal job position was something the Zhou family could afford to give.

Once his daughter was working at the factory, they could think about finding her a match in a couple of years, when the gossip had died down.

Yu Xianghai was puzzled the whole way, wondering why his father was so grim and silent. When he asked, Yu Qingshan only said he’d find out soon enough. At the Qin house, his father immediately gathered his grandparents and uncles, shutting the door behind them. When Yu Qingshan explained the situation, Yu Xianghai’s fists clenched, veins bulging. He growled, “That bastard! What did our Yu family ever do to him!?”

What would this mean for his sister’s reputation?

The thought of the loose-tongued gossips whispering behind his sister’s back made him even angrier.

The two of them were the ones at fault, but in this world, women bore the brunt of the blame. If word got out, Zhou Boyang might even be envied for his “luck,” while Ding Minxiu would be called a seductress. His sister, meanwhile, would be labeled as weak and useless. Scandalous rumors like this spread like wildfire and could follow someone for life.

What had his sister done to deserve this? The more Yu Xianghai thought about it, the angrier he became. “I’m going to find him and teach him a lesson!”

Yu Qingshan grabbed his arm. “Calm down.”

Qin Qiang and Yao Cuifen’s expressions were equally grim, but their age gave them more composure. Though furious at what had happened to their granddaughter, they kept their cool.

Yu Qingshan continued, “My thought is that we can’t let this blow up. Xiao An will need to remarry someday, and a scandal would make that harder. Originally, the Zhou family planned for Zhou Boyang’s grandmother to retire once Xiao An married in, letting her take over the job. Now that’s impossible, but they owe us compensation.”

What kind of compensation? Naturally, her job.